Counting carbohydrates can seem daunting at first. With the right tools and information, carbohydrate counting can easily be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. Carbohydrate counting can be useful for people with diabetes, attempting weight loss or for people who just want more control over their diets. Carbohydrates are an important nutrient for the body and should never be eliminated completely from your diet.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates go beyond just bread and rice. Carbohydrates include all breads and grains, all fruits and fruit juices, milk, yogurt, starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn, beans and sweets. All of these items will be broken down in the body and turned into glucose. Glucose is what the body uses for energy. The more carbohydrates eaten, the higher blood glucose will rise. Choosing carbohydrates which are higher in fiber will not raise blood glucose as much because fiber is mostly indigestible.
Serving Size
Carbohydrate counting begins with knowing correct serving sizes. Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is equal to one serving. Grams of carbohydrates are listed under total carbohydrates on the nutrition food label. If 30 grams of carbohydrates are listed under total carbohydrates, then that food item contains a total of two carbohydrate servings. Typically a meal consists of an average of four to five carbohydrate servings. This may vary per person, a registered dietitian should be consulted to develop an appropriate diet plan.
One Carbohydrate Serving
Serving size examples of popular food items include, one small piece of fresh fruit, 1/2 cup of canned or frozen fruit, one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/3 cup of pasta or rice, four to six crackers, 1/2 English muffin or hamburger bun, 1/4 of a large baked potato, 2/3 cup of plain fat free yogurt or sweetened with sugar substitutes, two small cookies, two inch square brownie or cake without frosting and 1/2 cup ice cream or sherbet.
Carbohydrate Counting
After carbohydrate serving sizes are determined, accurate carbohydrate counting is necessary. For example, a large bagel is actually four carbohydrate servings and not one. A glass of milk is not considered one carbohydrate serving because one glass is not an accurate measurement. A serving of milk is one cup, or eight ounces. Another option to carbohydrate counting is referred to as the plate method. When using the plate method first draw an imaginary line across the middle of the plate, then draw another line from the center down. The top half of the plate should be filled with non starchy carbohydrates. One of the bottom quarters of the plate filled with protein and the other bottom quarter with carbohydrate.
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